A/N: Oh my, it's been a while. How have you guys been? I've been caught up in a giant writers block and life hasn't been kind, but maybe I'll try to update more often? By the way, thank you everyone who's stuck around! You guys are truly amazing. In the time I've been gone, this story picked up a lot of traction, and I'm so grateful for the comments you leave. Anyways, on with the story!

"What the hell did Weasel say?" Draco muttered, his voice thick with anger. He knew very well what he said, but his brain wanted to double check, just in case the red-head hadn't completely lost his mind.

"It's nothing Malfoy, honestly. It's all my fault, I didn't break up with him first and-," Hermione sputtered, her mumbling fading off as she rubbed her temples.

"Still, it gives him no right to say that about you," Draco replied. He let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Hermione, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She rubbed her arms nervously, before Draco broke the silence.

"He's been sleeping with Brown, by the way. I think for three months now?" He quietly informed. Hermione looked at him with glassy eyes.

"Well, I'm not surprised. What am I supposed to do? It's not like I have the energy to break them up."

Revenge flickered in his silver eyes, before Draco finally spoke. "I better go."

With a quick peck and a wave, Draco placed his hands in his pockets, before walking off. Hermione stood there, confused with the abrupt end, before watching him walk to Ron's dorm and knocking instead of to his own dorm. Within seconds, Hermione witnessed Draco get pulled into the dorm and the portrait closing loudly behind him.

"This can't be good," Hermione muttered, before rushing to the dorms.

"Password?" The portrait asked.

"Uhh, Molly?" Hermione tried, figuring that Ron would use the same password for his dorms as he did for everything.

"You may enter."

With a soft click, Hermione entered the dorm, only to see Draco's fist fly directly into Ron's face.

Even though Draco had told Hermione he was leaving, he had other thoughts in his mind, such as beating the dumb Weasel until his head cracked open and he bled out.

Of course, if Hermione had heard that, she would have stopped him almost inmediately, so that would have ruined his idea.

With three short knocks on the side of the portrait, Draco was prepared to take revenge.

"Malfoy, what the hell?!" Ron answered, annoyance spreading across his face.

"Weasel, do I have a bone to pick with you-"

And with a swift motion, Ron yanked the blonde into his dorms.

The red-head threw a fast punch, and the blonde blocked it easily, catching his fist. However, Ron slammed him into a wall and nearly broke the ferret's nose.

He smacked Ron square in the face, giving him a bloody nose, before throwing repeated punches at him.

"Don't. You. Ever. Call. Granger. That. Again!" He snarled, before pushing him to the ground.

Ron laughed manically, his smile astray from the giant cuts on his upper right lip.

"Merlin, Malfoy. I didn't know you would do so much for a little fuck of yours," he slurred, smirking.

Draco growled. "Fuck you."

He mashed his fist right on his face, just as Hermione walked in.

"DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY AND RON BILLIUS WEASLEY!" She cried, her hands on both sides of her hips.

"Oh hello love," Draco grinned, as Ron took this as a chance to smash his head.

"RONALD!"

"Take him back to your humble abode," Ron muttered, shoving Draco's weak body off of him.

"I will gladly, you dick."

With a piercing glare, she muttered a charm to help Draco stand, and helped him back to her dorms.

Hermione gently placed him on her bed, as he groaned in pain. She propped him up with a few pillows, before rushing to find her first-aid kit.

"Malfoy, what in the world did you do?! More importantly, why?" She angrily whispered, sitting next to him and opening the kit. Grabbing a healing potion and some gauze, she gently started to prepare a makeshift bandage, before muttering. "This is going to hurt."

With gentle pats, she applied the potion to his knuckles as Draco stiffled a yelp.

"I did it because I care, Granger. My mother taught me to protect those I care about," he answered simply, as though the words wouldn't shock her.

They did though, and Hermione stopped patting for a minute. She rubbed her cheeks, attempting to get rid of the vicious blush, before looking at him angrily.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

"You didn't do anything when he called you a slut. Hell, you didn't even flinch."

"Shut up."

Hermione tied a gauze around his fist and stared at him for a bit. "Take off your, uh, shirt, um, please."

Draco smirked. "Getting undressed so quickly? Not that I mind but damn, I didn't take you as a fast one," he teased. He took off his shirt however (he was darn glad he concealed his Dark Mark), and Hermione felt the wind getting knocked out of her. How could a sixteen year old be so terribly in shape? Draco sat casually, his muscles gently curving. His abs were very prominent and very shapely, as was the rest of his body. Draco shifted his back to face her and his entire body rippled.

"Why did you kiss me today?" She asked suddenly, her heart thunping loudly. "And why do you even care about me?"

Hermione began to clean most of the dried blood off his skin and bandaged the cuts and bruises he had. Muttering a simple cleaning charm, she gave him back his uniform shirt.

Draco bit his bottom lip before hesistently answering.

"I kissed you because I wanted to see your reaction." Lies. He missed her. "I care about you because heck, if you weren't around, Hogwarts would be too easy. I need a little challenge," he smirked, turning around to wink at her. "How about you? You could've easily tossed me to Pomfrey," he asked.

"I don't know, Malfoy. I just... I feel butterflies around you, I always want to see you, and I miss you all the time," she admitted, not wanting to state that she, well, that she liked him.

"Granger?" Draco asked, turning around to face her and inching closer.

"Hm?" She asked, looking at him.

His face hovered millimeters away from hers, and Hermione could feel his warm breath tickling her lips.

"Are you trying to say that you like me?" He muttered, his eyes scanning her lips, and then looking up to meet her eyes.

"Merlin," he thought. "How are her eyes so beautiful?"

Draco had never been interested in brown eyes, but something about Hermione's made him intrigued and amazed. The way they would twinkle in the light and reflect all shades of brown made him appreciate brown eyes much, much more.

She gulped. His silver eyes glinted with a hint of lust and wonder, as he placed a hand on her cheek. Hermione's words clung to her throat like superglue, and suddenly she needed water.

"Hm, Granger? The more you don't say anything, the more I'll take it as a yes," he hummed, rubbing his thumb in circles on her jaw.

"I like you, Malfoy. More than I'm willing to admit," she answered.

Draco grinned slightly, and finally placed his lips on hers. Carefully, he pressed his lips against hers, entangling his hands into her hair. Hermione put her hands on his neck, gently sliding them up and playing with his hair. As gently as he could possibly manage, he nibbled her bottom lip. This caused her to moan slightly, giving Draco a small space to slip his tongue in. He explored, running the tip of his tongue across the scar in her cheek which was from her nervous chewing, to the tiny scar on her gums from the time a curse hit her in the mouth. He could've done so many other things, but of course his Dark Mark had to sting.

Draco pulled away, smirking at the flustered Gryffindor in front of him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worry etching her face.

"It's nothing. I have to do something."

He slid on his shirt and Hermione pouted slightly. She really enjoyed her view. Draco gathered his things, before pecking her cheek. As he made his way to the exit, he turned and smirked at her.

"Granger?"

"Yes?"

"I like you too."

Snape usually had the worse timing, but then again, Draco was always snogging someone. However, when the blonde stumbled into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom covered in bandages and bruises, Snape figured he was doing something else.

"Mr. Malfoy, I would typically excuse your unpunctual behaviour, but you appear to have been doing something else. Of course, I would imagine you did not do quesionable activities with an animal, but did Madame Pomfrey heal you when she was intoxicated?" Snape asked the boy, bewildered.

'Salazar Slytherin, Snape! I most certainly did not fuck an animal, nor did I allow Pomfrey to heal me while she was drunk! I came here because I was interrupted, so tell me what you need so I can get back to my business," Draco answered aggressively.

Snape swallowed harshly to prevent his anger from lashing out at him, but kept him composure. "Watch your language. A Death Eater requires profession and patience. As for what I need, I need you to work on the Vanishing Cabinet. It has been three months, and you still have not fixed it. What do you require?"

"For everyone to be bloody patient. I've done all the tests and tried most repairing charms, but the Cabinet doesn't mend. It does react to emotion however, but I'm not sure what emotions fix it, but that's all I can report for now," he answered, as if he had practiced it before.

"Alright. One last thing," Snape muttered.

"Yes, sir?"

"I doubt choosing Ms. Granger to fulfill your urges is the smartest idea, considering her best friend is the boy we have to defeat."

A/N: A bit of a longer update, and I have a few more chapters prepared. If I type fast enough, maybe you'll get another update soon. I love all of you, and it would mean the world if you left your thoughts in the reviews. If you liked it enough, maybe favourite and add it to your library?

Sincerely, Dramione Productions